Persian Dreams Book One, Talah: one, #1

Summary

Through war and peace, loss and triumph, the strongest among us do what they can to hold onto their dreams. Maryam Tabibzadeh?s rich novel invites the reader to experience one hundred years of Iranian history through the eyes of its passionate characters.

Talah: Born in the late nineteenth century to a well-to-do family, she must find a way to survive after the loss of her second husband.

Persian Dreams Book One, Talah - Maryam Tabibzadeh

Early Praise for Persian Dreams:

trying to gain rights in a strictly patriarchal society. The story’s hero-

ine, Nosha, wants to become a medical doctor—an ambitious desire

in an era governed by conservative tradition. Tabibzadeh delicately

takes the reader through a personal history of Iranian women’s rights:

from the years of traditional obedience at the mercy of their husbands

and fathers at the turn of the century to the 70’s, when it was com-

mon practice for women to vote, go to college, and choose their own

spouses. Each story uniquely manifests the courage of women brave

enough to protest against a violent, abusive, male-dominated society.

At the same time, the author presents the beauty of Persian poetry

and its role as the voice of an oppressed nation crying for change.

Tabibzadeh’s elaborate and lavish descriptions of places, events, and

characters take the reader into the heart of Persian culture; with the

book’s conclusion comes a real understanding of the struggle Iranian

women have gone through, and the history behind their hard-won

rights so far!

Shahnaz Peyman

Pal Alto, California

A SWEEPING TALE OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE. That’s often what we

hear with regard to works depicting foreign lands, broken hearts, and

love unrequited. Maryam Tabibzadeh incorporates so much more in

her achingly visual recounting of life in Iran across the vivid political

and cultural span of the last century. She gives voice to the struggles

of women wanting to be heard, to be counted, and to be loved and

oﬀers answers through the eyes of men shaped by a nation that no

longer exists. The stories - and there are several - are wrapped in the

lilting poetry of Persia. I suggest you read it in a quiet secluded place,

so you can hear the movement of the sand...

Alexis Dobbins

CEO, writeRelations.com

Acknowledgements

I would, ﬁrst of all, like to acknowledge the eﬀorts of my daugh-

ter, Sheila Mahoutchian, who inspired the creation of this book. She

painted a picture of the day my book would be published and asked

me how I felt about it as if it really happened. This inspiration was

what stirred the book that follows. She also put forth much eﬀort

throughout the process of creating it, from designing both the cover

and interior to overlooking the editing process. I am proud of her

persistence, and her artistic and thoughtful work.

Many thanks to Shahnaz Peyman, Alexis Dobbins and Maggie

Campbell for their early readings of my book and their helpful in-

sights and suggestions. Also to Iraj Shamas for helping my research

on Persian poets in preparing the reference at the end of the book.

Finally I’d like to thank the rest of my family and friends for all

the encouragements and love I received before and while writing this

book. I especially thank those friends who gave me positive feedback

on my Persian publications and the special one who told me, "You

have to write more, because you can make magic come true."

Dedication

I dedicate Persian Dreams to my daughters, Sheila and Tara, whose

encouragements and love gave me the courage and inspiration to

write.

Prologue

PERSIAN DREAMS ARE the Series of three books Talah is the first one in the series The Story starts in 1904 with all the epidemic and heart broken events. The Heroin Talah goes through so much and teaches you with her story how to withstand even the harsh event. So read the story and let’s travel, travel back in time and go back a century ago. Then pass